Former Celtic midfielder Ki Sung-yueng has offered his advice to fellow countryman, and new Hoops recruit Hyeongyu Oh.
The 34-year-old is currently playing his football back in South Korea after rejoining his boyhood club, FC Seoul, in 2020.
However, the midfielder also had an established career in Europe, playing for English Premier League sides such as Sunderland and Newcastle.
His initial move to Europe, though, came about in the January of 2010, as he joined Celtic.
He enjoyed a strong spell in Glasgow, winning the Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup, before securing a move south of the border.
Last month, one of Ki’s fellow countrymen, Hyeongyu Oh, became the third South Korean player to make the move to Parkhead.
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Although their paths haven’t really crossed, the former Celtic midfielder has had some useful advice for the new forward as he makes a similar move 13 years on.
Ki opened up on what Hyeongyu Oh will bring to Ange Postecoglou’s squad, as he urged that if the one-time capped international ever needed advice, he is only a phone call away.
He said [Sports Khan]: “I think Oh Hyeon-gyu is a player with huge potential. He doesn’t have much experience in the K-League, but I believe he will show he is capable of making the leap to a higher level.
“I don’t have a relationship with Oh as I don’t know him personally, but I have watched him, and he is a player with good physical attributes and speed.
“He is a young guy who is full of confidence in his own ability and energy. I read what he said about me when he signed for Celtic, and that was an honour.
“Celtic are a club with incredible fans. Every time I played there, I was amazed by the atmosphere, I can never forget it. It was a really good experience for me.
“Everything will be very different for him, as it was for me – the language, climate, and teammates. So it will be difficult for him to adapt at first. It’s important for him to accept this and keep calm about it and realise it will take time to adjust to his new surroundings on and off the pitch.
“But in Europe, you have to be proactive and not passive. He can certainly contact me if he has any questions about settling in there in Scotland.”
Ki Sung-yueng the perfect example for Oh to approach as he looks to settle into life at Celtic.
Having made the move to Glasgow at a later stage in the January transfer window, you can imagine it will have been a bit of a whirlwind few weeks for Hyeongyu Oh.
However, he has quickly gotten down to work at Parkhead and has already made three appearances. Coming off the bench against St Johnstone, he played his part in David Turnbull’s strike by winning the free kick, which led to Andy Considine’s sending-off.
As he does look to settle in at Celtic Park, if he is ever in need of advice, then he has the perfect man to turn to, in Ki Sung-Yueng.
The midfielder went through a similar journey, arriving in Glasgow as a younger player, having to quickly acclimatise to the pressures of playing for Celtic.
He did exactly that, going on to have a solid career, not only at Celtic but several clubs south of the border too.
So, if Oh is ever seeking advice, then he knows there is a man he can turn to, and it is great to hear he is ready to help him settle down.
In other news, Kyogo hails ‘important’ training ground work helping develop understanding among Celtic squad.